A CAKE FOR ALL SEASONS
Autumn apple or pear tart, Winter a warm syrupy orange cake, Spring a delicious rhubarb cake, or perhaps a Summer bountiful berry bonanza.
Kindling Restaurant in Brighton is constantly evolving the menu to reflect whatever
is local and in season. "It’s a lot of fun but also a lot of work developing new recipes and
constantly innovating. As a chef (Holly Taylor) I absolutely love it when I find a recipe that is endlessly versatile. Something that delivers on taste and texture but can be easily adapted to
wonderful new produce.
Towards the end of the Summer, I decided I wanted to put a cake on the menu, something
that was special enough to be worthy of dessert – moist, dancing with flavour, and
comforting. A cake that would pair just as well with a sweet late-harvest chardonnay, as
with a rich dark espresso.
This is the autumnal version of that cake, the perfect comfort food for those colder months.
Rich and sticky, it is equally good served with custard, crème fraiche, or ice cream."
Whatever the season or occasion this cake is a winner and sure to be a firm favourite with family and guests.
Adapting the cake to the seasons;
"One of the reasons I love this cake is that there are so many different variations. It’s a
wonderful vehicle to showcase whatever fruit is in season.
In the autumn it works well with both apples and pears. It will work especially well if you
choose a variety that is firm and a little bit tart, for example, a Braeburn apple.
In the winter I recommend trying it with 2-3 thinly sliced oranges or blood orange. Instead
of making a caramel sauce, you want to cook the orange slices in sugar syrup for 15 mins
until the rinds are beginning to turn translucent - Put 200g sugar and 120ml water in a large
saucepan set over a medium heat; stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the orange slices (minus
any seeds) and bring to a gentle simmer. Then layer the syrupy oranges in the cake tin
instead of the pears.